Wednesday, 21 June 2006

Scots and Sassenachs

If the Scots are not out to goad the Sassenachs into political discontent, they are inadvertently working to that effect, particularly in their disregard of the West Lothian question.

.....Now, it is understandable that this question is of little concern to most Scots; for, since it does not adversely and directly affect them, they may be forgiven for attending to more personal and pressing concerns. As Kirk Elder, Scotland’s finest and foremost fogy, has said:

In my experience, there are two West Lothian Questions. One is ‘what are you looking at?’ and it is usually delivered before one is assaulted at a bus stop. The other — often delivered moments earlier — is ‘sauce or vinegar?’ [1]

For the Scots that govern England, however, the West Lothian question ought to be one of political concern, since it is a matter of political grievance; and yet they remain indifferent or even hostile to its settlement.

.....Since the English pay towards the luxury of Scottish client-nationalism (“Down with England, but don’t cancel the cheques!”), the English might feel entitled to call its bluff, and enjoy the fruit thereof: namely, the independence of England from Scotland. That way, not only would the West Lothian question be answered, but also the Scots would be free to dig deeply into their own pockets to pay for their own vast public expenditure. Now, I ask you: wouldn’t that be a sight worth seeing?

Niconoclast, I support the right of the Scots to secede from the Union. I am not impressed with the present arrangement, however. And who knows, perhaps one day we might be able to deport Gordon Brown?

I think that arguing about the cash is not the line to take: the accounts are far too arbitrary. It's possible that allowing for the expense of London government and government hangers-on, and the oil revenue, there is no subsidy to Scotland. What is unambiguously clear is the utter obnoxiousness of MPs for Scottish seats voting on purely English (or English and Welsh) matters. Move the UK govt to Berwick and have a separate English govt in London The argument that we couldn't have a lop-sided Federation is mere assertion: lets try it. The argument that that would lead to "too much government" is readily answered: leave the EU.